"BAD KITTY FOR PRESIDENT," by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press, 144 pages, $13.99 (ages 7 and up)(f)
Did you know that you could actually learn something from a bad kitty? You can if it is the book "Bad Kitty for President." I have read two other "Bad Kitty" books and they were really funny — but they weren't nearly as good as this one. Oh, "Bad Kitty For President" is still funny, but it also taught me a lot, too. I learned about running for office and how people (and cats) get elected.
"Bad Kitty For President" is a story about a number of cats who are running for president of The Neighborhood Cat Club. To be eligible to replace the current president, Old Kitty, they first must kiss a human baby.
The candidates split up their followers into two groups: one that is on the left side and another that is on the right side. Bad Kitty runs for the right and Big Kitty represents the left side. They hit the campaign trail (I learned that phrase in the book) and try to get other cats to vote for them. They even get into a catfight and start putting bad things about each other on the computer and in the newspaper.
After a final debate, the voting is held and the results are left up to Old Kitty, who has the last vote. Who wins? You'll have to read the book to find out.
This book helped me in several ways to understand the election process. Sections called "Uncle Murray's Fun Facts" are one of the methods the author uses to educate readers: He explains effectively what all the confusing government and voting terms mean, in detail, such as primaries and registration.
Another useful contribution is "Edna's Lovely Little Glossary of Terms," which is a five-and-a-half-page list of short voting definitions for words such as "nominee." Also enjoyable are the many pictures the author uses to help explain what is going on. They are great!
Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of all the Bad Kitty books. Even as a child, he loved to draw characters and write stories about them, according to the book's author information. As an adult, he sold books until he decided to write them instead. His hobbies include growing tomatoes and collecting Pez dispensers. He lives with his wife, daughter and a cat, Esmerelda, in Tarrytown, N.Y.
He also offers a Bad Kitty website at badkittybooks.squarespace.com, which has games, videos, trailers for movies, plays and books, and information about Bad Kitty. The website is really fun, especially "The Stack Up Game."
I'm encouraging all of my third-grade classmates to buy "Bad Kitty for President" in this month's book order.
Ellie De Groote is 8 years old and runs the blog SuperKidReviews.wordpress.com with her 10-year-old sister, Kate.